[GRAPHIC: Ask Super Lawyers, How long do I have to file a lawsuit after a car accident in Pennsylvania?, Attorney Douglas J. Olcott responds, THOMSON REUTERS]

Douglas J. Olcott: In Pennsylvania we have a two year statute of limitations which means once you’ve been involved in an accident you have two years to the date of the accident to file a law suit.

During that period of time the attorneys will try to negotiate a settlement of your case. If you cannot get the case settled voluntarily a law suit must be filed within a two year period from the date of the accident in order to protect the client’s rights.

There are some exceptions; there’s what’s known as a discovery rule and that is where a person doesn’t know if they have a claim until a later date. Typically that involves other types of cases.

There are certain limitations as well; if a person is rendered unconscious, if a person’s in a coma, if they don’t realize that they have a claim or are unable to pursue that claim during a period of incapacity that two years is extended.

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